He is Risen Indeed!

It has been a rather dark and long Easter week at our house. What began as a lesson in service to my kids last Friday(10 days ago) as we took in the sick MckKiddos for the day (from 9am-5pm) before spring break started, has turned into an ongoing and not-much-welcomed bed of sickness and GI disease that seems as if it will never end. Beginning that next Saturday morning with Tubby and Laura puking on the way to Chicago which cancelled our trip upon attending the church services, to one by one watching all the kids moan and groan of stomach pains, fevers, and lying around on the couches, hardly able to move all week long. When Bob and I finally came down with the illness on Thursday, it truly seemed there would be no end ever again in sight. We cancelled every fun thing we had planned during the week, leaving us with nothing to remember the "break" by other than suffering.

A bit appropriate for the Easter week, is it not?

Being pregnant, there is really no other illness worse than a GI one. Sure, every cold you get while pregnant seems to last until the baby is born, so you have the little inconvenience of carrying a wad of tissues everywhere you go....even in the summer. Getting over a GI illness seems to be even more difficult, painful, and dangerous. A cycle that just does not want to quit. Yet somehow, you have to keep trying, no matter how hard, because you have that little life growing inside of you relying desperately on you to sustain them and keep them safe.

So I found myself this week relying on Jesus the same way. For His suffering on the cross for me, not deserved, and my utter dependence on Him for my very survival.....in this earthly world, and in completed joy as we celebrate and worship Him eternally in Heaven. He conquered death for you and me individually so that we may be saved and follow Him gloriously into eternal bliss. That is most certainly Good News this Easter Sunday: He is Risen......He is Risen Indeed!!

The Maundy Thursday evening service at our church is probably the most moving, introspective, "dark", bring you to your knees, worship service of the entire year. There is no way to doubt the impact of Christ's suffering for your own personal little self while attending this service. It is by far the most anticipated service of the year for us.....knocks us over the head into where our hearts and minds should really stand in our trivial world filled with so many "complications" and seemingly "important" things.

Getting sick Thursday afternoon was not happy timing for me, as I now had to miss this incredible service. Grandma ? and Lyle were kind enough to make the out of the way trek to our house to pick up the older 3 (and a friend of Michael's) to bring them to this service. I am so proud of my tween and teenagers who recognize such significance in worship despite cultural influences that try to sweep these all important truths under the rug. We did not tell them they still had to go, though Mommy and Daddy were both sick and out for the count....these kids had an easy excuse to stay home. Instead, they independently WANTED to go, and were just as disappointed as I that it looked as though they would not make it. It was a gift for them to attend with Grandma ? and Lyle....one that all of them appreciated fully.

As I was on my knees that evening(ok, perhaps for a different, sickness-related reason), I tried to keep in mind all these thoughts that my boys were simultaneously experiencing in church. This suffering of mine was NOTHING, and I owe EVERYTHING to the one who suffered for me.

As Sunday rolled around, and sunshine streamed through our living room windows, it certainly did seem like a new day. The girls were all happy, seemed healthy, and pleasantly bopped around the rooms searching for eggs and Easter baskets. The boys were getting along, with no complaints of sour stomach. I felt brave enough to eat a bit of the Easter bread we had baked up for breakfast....I was anxious for food again since going without for the last 3 days. Everyone had baths and showers, donned their Easter apparel, and we left for church on time, and squeaky clean.

We enjoyed a joyous celebration (my creativity for words is much escaping me) of worship and praise before heading to my parents house. There, we had a fabulous Easter lunch, and the kids spent a fun-filled day running around with their twin cousins, Grandparents, climbing trees in the backyard, and hunting for eggs around the house. It was so nice to see them all happy again, smiling, and playing. It was the last day of spring break, and they were finally having a good day!! That was certainly a nice Easter surprise!

What a lovely day!

Happy Easter, everyone!

(I, however, was not so lucky, and had to leave abruptly with my kids at 6pm, Alex doing a fabulous job of driving us home quickly where I once again resumed my sickness.....honestly, I do not think I will ever get better)